Great pictures everyone and thank you for posting :) I hope Crown Princess Mette-Marit gets to feeling better soon :) It's too bad she missed this visit. I would have loved to have seen her all dressed up :)

Since this wasn't a State Visit, but "only" an Official Visit, there wasn't a traditional return dinner (not that there are always those during State Visits either, the return arrangement can consist of something in a wide range of things). The return dinner during during this visit was the King and Queen of Norway hosting a dinner at the royal yacht "Norge". There are some pics from that in this thread I believe.

I really don't like the tiara Victoria wore to this event. it kind of looks weird. not what a tiara should be. I realize it's very historic but really, I think some of the other tiaras she wears are much better.

her look is wonderful for the rest though. I especially love the hair down. so feminine and youthful.

Frankly, I don't understand the fuss being made about the amount of cleavage shown by Queen Silvia in her beautiful evening gown on this occasion.
There's nothing indecent about it at all, she certainly can still afford to wear a dress like this at her age, so let's just appreciate the glitter & glamour of the overall picture she presents!

I agree with Emma, I find it kind of weird for the Queen to show that much skin, but oh well...!
I really think Victoria looks fanastic these days, especially her hair at the gala dinner and that beige-ish dresh make her look amazing!

There were some questions about the Orders worn by the Royals for the gala banquet.

King Carl Gustaf, Queen Silvia, Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Philip, Princess Madelaine, Princess Lilian, and Princess Christina wore the Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of St Olav.
The King received this during his state visit to Norway 1974, the Queen in 1982, Pss Lilian and Pss Christina received theirs during the Norwegian state visit to Sweden in 1992, CPss Victoria received it when she reached majority in 1995, and finallt Prince Carl Phlip and his sister Pss Madeleine received theirs during this visit.

King Harald received the Order of the Seraphim when he reached majority in 1958, Queen Sonja during the 1974 state visit to Norway, CP Haakon during the 1993 state visit to Norway, and CPss Mette-Marit received the GC of the Order of the Polar star during the Swedish visit to Norway earlier this year. She is not likely to receive the Seraphim until she becomes the first lady (when her husband is King or her if mother-in-law dies early)